Megan Rapinoe wins Best FIFA Women’s Player award

Megan Rapinoe has been named the Best FIFA Women’s Player ahead of USA team-mate Alex Morgan and England’s Lucy Bronze.

She won the gong with 46 per cent of the ranking points, ahead of Morgan (42 per cent) and Bronze (29 per cent) while England striker and Bronze’s team-mate Ellen White was voted tenth overall.

England captain Steph Houghton voted for Rapinoe to win the award and had Rose Lavelle and Bronze as her second and third picks respectively, while England boss Phil Neville went for Bronze, Rapinoe and White.

Rapinoe, 34, won the Golden Boot for most goals and Golden Ball for best player at the Women’s World Cup earlier this summer after helping the USA win the tournament with six goals and three assists.

The USA co-captain, vocal off the pitch for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, also enjoyed a successful season domestically after guiding Reign FC into the National Women’s Soccer League play-offs.

Bronze misses out after being named UEFA Women’s Player of the Year last month – the first English woman to win the award – and also won the Women’s World Cup Silver Ball after helping the Lionesses reach the semi-finals.

The 27-year-old starred for England at right-back, playing every minute in all seven matches as they lost out to eventual champions USA in the last four.

Bronze, who has been with French club Lyon since 2017, also won the treble last season, lifting the Women’s Champions League after a 4-1 win over Barcelona.

Morgan, meanwhile, also finished the World Cup with six goals and three assists for the USA, but missed out on the Golden Ball to team-mate Rapinoe by minutes-per-goal – and has now missed out on this award too.

The 30-year-old caused a stir with her tea-sip celebration against England in the semi-finals, being accused of disrespect, but she responded by claiming that there was a “double standard” for female players.

Earlier in the tournament, she became just the second woman in history to score five goals in one game when the USA thumped Thailand 13-0 for the biggest ever victory at the Women’s World Cup.

Best FIFA Women’s Player – top ten

1. Megan Rapinoe (USA)

2. Alex Morgan (USA)

3. Lucy Bronze (England)

4. Amandine Henry (France)

5. Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands)

6. Rose Lavelle (USA)

7. Julie Ertz (USA)

8. Ada Hegerberg (Norway)

9. Wendie Renard (France)

10. Ellen White (England)

FIFPRO Women’s World 11: Sari van Veenendaal, Lucy Bronze, Wendie Renard, Nilla Fischer, Kelly O’Hara, Amandine Henry, Julie Ertz, Marta, Rose Lavelle, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.

(c) Sky Sports 2019: Megan Rapinoe wins Best FIFA Women’s Player award